Sam Querrey expressed an inner-belief that his best tennis is around the corner on Friday following a semi-final exit to Marin Cilic at The Championships on Friday.

“Before I go for major titles, I need to take some baby steps before that,” said Querrey. “I do feel I can. I feel that if I play well, my level is at a high enough point where I can beat those top guys.”

The American is now looking for prolonged consistency having beaten the defending Wimbledon champions over the past two years – Novak Djokovic in the 2016 third round and Andy Murray in this year’s quarter-finals. He also beat Rafael Nadal in the Abierto Mexicano Telcel final in March.

“To have those three moments, where I really feel like I played well and beat a lot of good players, hopefully there's more moments like that to come,” said Querrey. “I feel like I've really had some ups over the last year, and hopefully there are more of those to come as I get a little bit older.

“I really just [need to] commit to the style of play and be a little more aggressive. I think in the past maybe I haven't done that. I seem to commit to that a little better here on the grass. I think if I just do that at the other Slams, I think it will be a little bit better.”

The 29-year-old Querrey insisted that it wasn’t the fatigue of three consecutive five-set wins that played a factor in his loss to Cilic in his first Grand Slam championship semi-final.

“I was actually more nervous against Andy in the quarter-finals. Today I felt pretty good. The first set we traded holds early. That really settled me… I didn't really have any questions about myself going in. I knew I was a good tennis player. I felt like I had this in me. To do this has been fun. Hopefully I can do more of it.”

With the help of his coach Craig Boynton, the World No. 28 will also be hoping to move closer to his career-high of No. 17 in the Emirates ATP Rankings (31 January 2011) over the course of the hard-court U.S. summer circuit.

For the second consecutive year, Sam Querrey has stunned the No. 1 seed and defending champion at Wimbledon. On Wednesday, Querrey upset Andy Murray, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1, 6-1, to advance to his first Grand Slam semifinal – and the first Grand Slam semifinal for an American man since Andy Roddick reached the Wimbledon final in 2009.Here’s a little more on the Wimbledon giant-slayer from California:

The Baseline- Querrey’s victory over Murray continues his impressive run through the Wimbledon draw. He has now won three consecutive five-set matches, adding his triumph over Murray to go-the-distance wins over No. 12 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and former Top 10 player Kevin Anderson in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. The loss was Murray’s first to an American since Alex Bogomolov Jr. bested him in Miami in 2011, while for Querrey, the maiden semifinal came in his 42nd Grand Slam main draw.- Querrey reached his first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal a year ago at the All England Club, defeating top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic en route. The victory snapped Djokovic’s 30-match Grand Slam winning streak and denied the Serb a chance at his fifth consecutive Grand Slam singles title.- Querrey has now posted 2017 victories over Murray, current world No. 2 Rafael Nadal and Top 20 players David Goffin, Nick Kyrgios and Dominic Thiem. The latter four wins all came in Acapulco, where the unseeded Querrey knocked off five Top 50 players to claim his ninth career ATP title.- Prior to his recent run of success on the London lawns, Querrey had posted his best major results at the US Open. He staged his international breakthrough as an 18-year-old at the 2006 US Open, defeating 2004 French Open champion Gaston Gaudio in the first round. He then reached the round of 16 in 2008 and again in 2010, and he has advanced to the third round in Flushing Meadows on three other occasions.- Querrey has also been an outstanding performer during the US Open Series. He was the overall Series champion in 2009 and owns three singles titles at the former Series event in Los Angeles.

They Said It!“I’m still in a little bit of shock myself. I’m just thrilled right now. I didn’t start my best, [but] I just kept with it, kept swinging away and then just kind of found my rhythm in the fourth and fifth sets. And then everything seemed to be falling my way then. This is a dream come true, to be in the semifinals, and for it to be at Wimbledon makes it a little more special.” – Querrey, following his five-set upset win over Murray on Wednesday

_________________“I doubt about myself, I think the doubts are good in life. The people who don’t have doubts I think only two things: arrogance or not intelligence.”

"When these kind of matches happen you suffer, but I really enjoy these moments. I really enjoy suffering, because what's harder is when I am in Mallorca last year and I had to watch these kind of matches on the TV."

_________________“I doubt about myself, I think the doubts are good in life. The people who don’t have doubts I think only two things: arrogance or not intelligence.”

"When these kind of matches happen you suffer, but I really enjoy these moments. I really enjoy suffering, because what's harder is when I am in Mallorca last year and I had to watch these kind of matches on the TV."

American defeats Kokkinakis in Saturday finalMexico has continued to treat Sam Querrey well in 2017. The American defeated Rafael Nadal this March to take the title in Acapulco, and the second seed has now prevailed at Abierto Mexicano de Tenis Mifel presentado por Cinemex in Los Cabos by winning Saturday’s final over wild card and #NextGenATP Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.“It’s really exciting to win here. I felt like I played really well. This tournament only keeps getting better, so I’m already excited to come back next year,” said Querrey. “I think the last couple of months have been the best I’ve played and if I can keep this going the rest of the year, it’ll be my best year on tour yet.”

Querrey picks up his 10th ATP World Tour singles title and second of 2017, marking just the second time in his career (2010) that he’s won more than one title in a season. His victory will also put him back inside the Top 20 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time since July 2013.Despite the loss, Kokkinakis can take heart in achieving the best result of his career. The 21 year old had never reached an ATP World Tour quarter-final prior to this week. He is the lowest-ranked finalist (No. 454) since then-World No. 966 Raemon Sluiter at the 2009 Ricoh Open.“I’m obviously disappointed at the moment. I definitely thought I could have done better, but I have to look at the positives in that this is my best week on tour. Hopefully this is just a small step,” said Kokkinakis. “The good news is that I have a lot of things to work on and I’m still having tight matches with some of the best players in the world.”The 21 year old was sidelined from singles competition for 18 months with a laundry list of injuries, but returned to singles action this past May. In just his fourth tournament back, he defeated Milos Raonic at the Aegon Championships. Kokkinakis has only played seven tournaments this season, but will jump to around No. 225 when the newest standings are released on Monday.YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Kohlschreiber Claims Second Kitzbühel CrownQuerrey picks up 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points and a cheque for $113,640, while Kokkinakis leaves Los Cabos with 150 Emirates ATP Rankings points and a cheque for $59,850.The second seed needed just 17 minutes to race to a 4-1 lead in the opening set and went on to grab the early advantage, but Kokkinakis regrouped by scoring the lone break of the second set a 2-1 and eventually forcing a decider. It appeared that the Aussie was on his way to his first ATP World Tour singles title, but Querrey regrouped by breaking Kokkinakis for 2-0 in the final set and once more in the last game to prevail in one hour and 46 minutes.

"I think the last couple of months have been the best I've played...", Sam Querrey had said to tennisnow.com but it was his 10th career title that he won and in Los Cabos made his second in Mexico this year, a country that seems lucky for him at playing well and racking up titles.

Querrey might have had an edge on the coming-back-from-injury Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis even though he was playing good, Querrey was really playing to perfection. He had a very successful Wimbledon run last month as he got to the semifinals by beating out Jo-Wilfred Tsonga and Andy Murray and before this event in Mexico, he won the Mexican Open early in the year defeating Rafael Nadal.

The ability to always amaze and excite with unexpected strokes is at times hidden on Querrey's racket as to what shots he can execute as winners. But the likes of the NextGen Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis can't be taken lightly either.

He started his preence on the ATP tour in 2013 when he received a wildcard for the 2013 Australian Open Juniors event but lost to Nick Kyrgios. He turned pro the same year and landed in the US Open Boys' Singles Final losing in 3 sets to Croatia's Borna Coric.

But he felt thrusted into tennis world and knew he could do well in the men's division and stoppedd playing in the junior sector. The following year, 2014 he began with the Brisbane International, getting a wildcard intot he Australian Open.

By 2015 he had his feet grounded in the ATP men's tour and received a wildcard for the Australian Open again, but Kokkinakis wasn't without his physical tennis weapons on the court or gossip and scandal as Kyrgios broke his silence on his comrade having relations with another player's girl.

Kokkinakis also had a dispute with American Ryan Harrison which eventually 'smoothed over'. Last year, 2016 the NextGen guy started feeling the effects of constant playing and had ongoing shoulder injuries. He missed the 2016 French and Wimbledon Championships, but might have came back too soon to the 2016 Rio Olympics, losig in the opening round.

Right afterwards he had to withdraw from the US Open citing a pylled chest muscle as the injury. This 2017 season he came back doing the Brisbane International and winning the doubles with Jordan Thompson to defeat Gilles Muller and oddly enough Sam Querrey.

Kokkinakis developed more nagging inuuries in June, a few months ago but managed to defeat Mikhail Youzhny in the Netherlands and Milos Raonic at theQueen's Club. When he received a wildcard for Los Cabos, he never though he'd be quite successful and had victories over his NextGen comrade Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz.

Top ranked Tomas Berdych was his next opponent who he also defeated, leaving the crowd at Los Cabos excited as to what this 21-year-old would do by getting into the final. Sam Querrey was definitely not to be excluded for a chance at winning because he brought his confidence and consistency to Los Cabos, also his luck that he previously had on Mexican soil.

He smashed down over a dozen aces to Kokkinakis and plyed superb as he knew his way around strategies to perform acute cross courts, slices and driving his younger opponent back to the baseline wo win his second Mexican title of the year.

Querrey felt comfortable there and says "It's really exciting to win here...I felt like I played really well. This tournament ony keeps getting better, so I'm already excited to come back next year". Who's to tell what is next to come for Sam Querrey who should reach the top 20 for the first time in a few years.

But Querrey is bound for victories as he had reassuringly said "...If I can keep this going the rest of the year, it'll be my best year on tour yet".

American in strong position to qualify for Nitto ATP FinalsSam Querrey likes to keep things simple.Case in point: His goals, or rather, his goal, for this season at the start of the year. Querrey, an 11-year ATP World Tour veteran, wanted to qualify for the year-end tournament. No, not that year-end tournament, the Nitto ATP Finals, the prestigious event that welcomes only the Top 8 players in the Emirates ATP Race To London.Querrey wanted to make the Rolex Paris Masters, the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament that's held two weeks before the Nitto ATP Finals. Querrey had missed Paris the past two years, despite a ranking good enough to qualify.“The last two years I've just been so tired and grumpy I've pulled out of the last two tournaments of the year. So literally my only goal at the beginning of the year was to make it to the Paris Masters,” Querrey exclusively told ATPWorldTour.com.If he's up for it, Querrey will again easily qualify for the Paris Masters, and he might also make the Nitto ATP Finals. The 29 year old is currently 10th in the Emirates ATP Race To London, and with two players ahead of him – Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic – ending their seasons early to due injury, Querrey is in even better position to make his debut at The O2 from from 12-19 November.See Who's Leading The Emirates ATP Race To London“It's exciting. There's still a lot of tennis left in the year. You don't want to get too excited yet but it's a great position to be in and hopefully I can continue playing well throughout the year and give myself a shot to make it toward the end,” Querrey said.“It's not really something that was on my radar the last few years but to possibly be in a position to get there would be a really cool thing.”Querrey is enjoying a resurgence during his 12th season on the ATP World Tour. He's just the latest player to turn in his best year as he trends closer to 30 than 20.The American is on pace to earn his highest year-end position in the Emirates ATP Rankings. He's had his best Grand Slam run by reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals, and he's already won two ATP World Tour titles – Acapulco (d. Nadal) and Los Cabos (d. Kokkinakis) – equalling his trophy haul from the past six seasons combined.QuerreyImproved training and nutrition have helped Querrey and scores of other players, but the biggest change for Querrey has been inside his head. When Craig Boynton started coaching him about two years ago, he knew the American had the skills to rest inside the Top 20 or Top 10. But he needed to convince his player of that as well.“Most of the tennis was there, it was just more his belief in himself,” Boynton exclusively told ATPWorldTour.com.Querrey has long had the weapons. The 6'6” right-hander, whose father was drafted by Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers, has a 1-2 serve-forehand combination among the best in tennis, and his improving return of serve allows him to break enough.But tennis can be a challenging and lonely sport, one where belief and confidence can matter more than power and forehands. You can have the best serve in the world, but it does you little good if at 6-5 in the fifth you're afraid to go for it.“You've got to identify what is holding someone back, and with a lot of these tennis players, it's fear of losing,” Boynton said. “But everyone's going to lose. There's no one who goes undefeated throughout the season. So if you don't fear losing, then you can free up in the big moments.”YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Is This The Year For Federer-Nadal In New York?During the past two seasons, Boynton has seen Querrey play more relaxed. He saw it last year when Querrey ended an eight-match losing streak against World No. 1s and beat Novak Djokovic to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final at Wimbledon.He's also seen it this year, when Querrey beat Rafael Nadal to take the Abierto Mexicano Telcel title in Acapulco and when the American gained another win over a World No. 1, this time beating Andy Murray in five sets at Wimbledon to reach his maiden Grand Slam semi-final.Before January, Querrey had a 14-51 record against Top 10 players, and if his match was pushed to a deciding set, he stood a 50-50 chance of winning.Learn More In Querrey's FedEx ATP Win/Loss SectionBut this season, Querrey has gone 4-4 against the Top 10 – fifth best on tour – and has won about 70 per cent (11-5) of his deciding sets.“It's not like I'm necessarily doing anything different as far as practice and things like that. But I feel like I've done a little better job this year of fighting through some matches where I haven't played my best. A lot of times that kind of confidence of winning those matches will carry over to when you play those bigger names,” Querrey said.QuerreyBoynton also sees Querrey growing in belief in more subtle ways – in how Querrey talks with reporters and in how he walks around the grounds of a tournament. The self-belief is there, and it's only building.“The proudest moment in Wimbledon was just looking into his eyes and him starting to think, 'Hey, you know, I think I'm pretty good. I can do this'. That was really goal No. 1 for me starting out with Sam, for him to really realise how good he is and how good he can be,” Boynton said. “We don't talk about it. I can see it. I've said to him for the last 12 months, I truly believe that his best tennis is in front of him.”This week, Querrey heads to the US Open, where he will have his highest seeding, No. 17, and will go for another career-first: a home Grand Slam breakthrough.He has reached the fourth round twice in New York (2008, 2010) but never the quarter-finals. Seven years ago, he fell in the fourth round to Stan Wawrinka in the type of match that used to trouble Querrey: a five-set mental battle. He lost 7-6(9), 6-7(5), 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 after four hours and 28 minutes.But this is a new year and a new week for Querrey, who knows better than most how quickly things can change – and improve – the later you go in your career, and the more belief you possess.“Confidence is huge...There have been times when I've been ranked 30 or 40 and I felt like a Top 20 player and there have been times when I've been ranked 30 or 40 and I've felt like I'm 75 in the world,” Querrey said.“But right now I definitely feel like I belong in the Top 20. I feel like I'm playing at a high level. I feel like the way I'm playing and the aggressive mindset that I have is really helping my game and hopefully I can stay in the Top 20 for a long time.”

Q. He's been a really tough opponent. He's a really experienced guy. What was the game plan going in? What do you think you did well?SAM QUERREY: I thought I did everything pretty well. The best thing I thought I did well was not get too down on myself. I lost serve three or four times in a row at one point, which doesn't happen too often. I did a good job of battling through that.Every part of my game felt good today, so overall I was pretty happy.Q. Do you understand the reasoning with the way the draw was switched around after Murray pulled out? You go from a qualifier to Simon.SAM QUERREY: I understand the reasoning. The only one I don't understand is why the 3 doesn't go to 2. If 5 is going to go to 2, and 17 is going to go to 16, the next guy in is going to go to 32, I feel like 3 should go to 2. Other than that, I understand it.Q. You obviously reacted very well. When you found out you were suddenly playing Simon instead of a qualifier, how did that go?SAM QUERREY: Yeah, a little nervous. Simon is, you know, definitely not the guy you want to see first round. He's been seeded at the slams for the most part over the past six years. He just missed it here. He's a tough player.I'm happy to get through that because I know he was going to be tough.Q. Coming off Wimbledon semis, great tournaments in Mexico, have your expectations changed for this tournament compared to prior years?SAM QUERREY: No. I lost first round the last couple years, so I honestly want to win one round and go from there. I'm going one round at a time. I feel like I'm playing really well. I feel like I can go far in the tournament.I'm honestly just looking forward to the next round against Dudi Sela on Wednesday and I hope I get by him.Q. I heard a few weeks ago on the Tennis Channel, this is the first time you're playing without a vibration dampener.SAM QUERREY: It was in Shanghai last year. I kept getting racquets strung, I couldn't tell the difference in tension, whether I had 35 pounds or 50 pounds. I took the vibration out and I could tell the difference a little more.I committed to it in the off-season. It was difficult for like a full month. I finally just got used to it. It's felt great this year.Q. Was it the sound that made it different or the feeling on the arm?SAM QUERREY: Both. The sound, it's a little more pingy now without it. It is easier on my arm. I can tell, if I have a racquet strung at 50 pounds, I want it a little looser, I can send it back to get strung. I can feel that one or two pounds difference in tension.Q. It's cooler this year.SAM QUERREY: I hope it stays that way all week. I don't think you'll find a player complaining about that.

_________________“I doubt about myself, I think the doubts are good in life. The people who don’t have doubts I think only two things: arrogance or not intelligence.”

"When these kind of matches happen you suffer, but I really enjoy these moments. I really enjoy suffering, because what's harder is when I am in Mallorca last year and I had to watch these kind of matches on the TV."

_________________“I doubt about myself, I think the doubts are good in life. The people who don’t have doubts I think only two things: arrogance or not intelligence.”

"When these kind of matches happen you suffer, but I really enjoy these moments. I really enjoy suffering, because what's harder is when I am in Mallorca last year and I had to watch these kind of matches on the TV."

Q. Talk about the match with Dudi. What was it like for you out there today?SAM QUERREY: I thought I played well. Everything felt great today. I mean, Dudi is a tricky player. He's got a fan club behind him. They're loud. They're cheering on their guy.I felt like I did a good job of just putting pressure on him, staying in front, coming to the net, serving big. I feel like when I do that against anyone, I'm pretty tricky.Q. Did you get a feeling he couldn't get started against you today?SAM QUERREY: Definitely, yeah. He had the one look where I broke him in the first set and he broke me right back, but then I was able to break him again to win that set. Once I won the first set, I gained a little more confidence, started playing even more aggressive, swing more freely, just started to play better and better.Q. Did you ever feel after that second set that this is typical Dudi, he could come back and win the next three sets?SAM QUERREY: The third set was the toughest one. We both held eight times in a row, he had a Love-40 on me that he didn't get. You're never out of it at the Grand Slams. Dudi, he's a fighter, makes you play till the end.Q. Are you usually aware of the fans, partisan fans?SAM QUERREY: I played him a handful of times. I knew it was going to be like that.Q. Is this everywhere on the road or just New York?SAM QUERREY: It's everywhere. Even a little more so in New York. That was 80% Dudi Sela fans out there.

_________________“I doubt about myself, I think the doubts are good in life. The people who don’t have doubts I think only two things: arrogance or not intelligence.”

"When these kind of matches happen you suffer, but I really enjoy these moments. I really enjoy suffering, because what's harder is when I am in Mallorca last year and I had to watch these kind of matches on the TV."

Sam Querrey leads the home charge into the second week at the US OpenSealed with an ace. Sam Querrey relied on his biggest weapon to secure his place in the Round of 16 at the US Open on Friday, overcoming Radu Albot 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.The American launched 49 winners, including 19 aces, to prevail after two hours and seven minutes. He will feature in the second week at his home Grand Slam for the first time since 2010, matching his best result.Albot, who was appearing in his first Grand Slam third round, streaked to an early lead with a break for the opening set at 6-4. But Querrey's response was quick and swift, breaking immediately to open the second and once more in the third and fourth sets. The 29 year old notched just his second victory from a set down at the US Open and first since 2012 (d. Lu in four)."The shadows were really tough the first 90 minutes," Querrey said. "That made things a little tricky to see the ball and really settle in. Once I broke him in the first game of the fourth, I played a lot better from there. It was a fun four-setter. I think it was good to face a little adversity there. Had to battle in a couple service games in the fourth set. Overall I felt pretty good."YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: How Querrey Does The Damage On ServeIt marks the third straight year in which an American has reached the Round of 16 at Flushing Meadows, following successful fortnights by John Isner and Donald Young in 2015 and Jack Sock in 2016."I feel like I always had this level, but it's just better now," Querrey added. "All around, I'm recognizing the opportunities to move forward. My backhand is definitely better. I feel like my return is a lot better. I feel like my intangibles are a little better. I just feel like every part of my game is a little more complete now."Querrey will vie for his 50th Grand Slam match win when he faces Mischa Zverev next. The big-hitting California native is rolling through the second half of the season, playing the best tennis of his career behind a 15-3 record since the start of Wimbledon. A semi-finalist at the All England Club and champion at the ATP World Tour 250 in Los Cabos, Querrey is in position to make a charge in the Emirates ATP Race To London. He is currently in 10th position.Zverev denied an all-U.S. encounter in the fourth round, defeating top American John Isner 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(5) in the nightcap on Friday. The German struck 34 winners and just seven unforced errors to reach the fourth round in New York for the first time. He first arrived at the US Open in 2006 and 11 years later, Zverev will make his debut in the second week.The 30 year old had spent six hours, 17 minutes on court in his first two matches, claiming back-to-back five-set marathons. His third-round victory was far more efficient. The German executed his aggressive serve-and-volley gameplan perfectly on a brisk Friday evening in New York. Zverev would close out the first set in 30 minutes after capturing a break in the ninth game and after conceding a break for 4-3 in the second, Isner received a medical timeout for treatment on his neck.Zverev was not rattled by the stoppage in play, earning the shot of the match with a stunning reflex volley to deny a blasted Isner mid-court forehand. The ball landed smack on the line. Two games later, a second serve return winner gave him a two-set lead. Isner had his chances in the third set, earning two break points at 3-all with a backhand pass, but Zverev turned aside both and would eventually advance in the ensuing tie-break."I felt like at times I was close," said Isner. "I really just couldn't pass him is what it comes down to, plain and simple. I had looks. I had little looks here and there. I didn't do what I needed to do. I don't know what it is. I struggle playing at night at this tournament. I don't think I've ever won a match at night here."

Q. Did it just take a little while for you to find your rhythm out there?SAM QUERREY: Little bit. Yeah, it was my first time out there. The shadows were really tough the first 90 minutes. That kind of made things a little tricky to see the ball and really like settle in.Once I broke him first game of the fourth, kind of settled in a little bit, played a lot better from there. It was a fun four-setter. I think it was good to face a little adversity there. Had to battle in a couple service games in the fourth set. Overall I felt pretty good.Q. You're the only player in the bottom half who has made a Grand Slam semifinal before. Is it difficult not to think about the opportunity there?SAM QUERREY: I didn't know that. But it's kind of an irrelevant stat, I feel like. I made one semifinal. Yeah, I mean, the bottom half of the draw has opened up. There's no way to not see that. There's a chance for everyone there.But, you know, you got to go one match at a time. I play John or Mischa next. Just worrying about that right now.Q. Mischa is up two sets now. Thoughts on each of them?SAM QUERREY: I mean, they're both tricky. John is John. He has the best serve in tennis. On any given day, he can beat anyone.I don't know if I've played Mischa before. But he's having a great year. It's never fun to play a lefty. Most lefties are crafty. He's the craftiest of all the lefties.Either way it's going to be an uncomfortable matchup. That's not one of the matches, whoever I play, where you go out there and assume I'm going to feel great about my game either way. It's going to be one of those you get a couple chances here and there, try to poke some returns in, worry about your serve, things like that.Q. How does an open tournament, as you call it, feel different?SAM QUERREY: I don't really know. It will be weird to have a guy in a final that has never been there before. Outside of that, that's really it. It's just a good opportunity for everyone.Q. If you look at your year this year, you've never obviously had a year quite like this, can you look back and say this is how it turned it around in the last couple years? Is there a point that you started working on your fitness, something clicked for you? Something obviously clicked.SAM QUERREY: I said this once before. I think it was in Acapulco, my second round against Goffin. I really clicked in that match, really committed to being aggressive, coming forward. I feel like from that point forward this year, I've just played probably the best I've played in my career.Q. You said you were going to be uncomfortable no matter what. Does it affect your preparation at all? How does that change your mentality or what you do on the practice court?SAM QUERREY: I won't change anything. I'll go out and practice tomorrow for 30 minutes. When you're playing a guy with big serves like both of them, you have to worry about your own serve first and foremost. Try to dial it in, get a few in. That's it. Usually the less I worry about, the better I play.Q. On the draw again, people are saying it was open when Cilic lost today. Did that feel like a moment when it officially became open?SAM QUERREY: Yeah, I mean, everyone was watching that in the locker room. It felt a little open even before he beat him, I think partly because Marin hasn't even played this summer. He's obviously really good. But he came in here with very little preparation. Even before that I think guys saw that it was open.Q. Are guys rooting for the upset in that situation?SAM QUERREY: I don't know. I didn't really care either way. I didn't play the winner or anything, so I didn't really care.Q. How would you describe the effect of the health of certain players? What effect have all the withdraws had on the sense of opportunity here?SAM QUERREY: Yeah, I mean, not only here, but in Montreal, in Cincinnati a little bit, too. Guys, there's just an opening right now for different guys to go far in Masters Series and Grand Slams, like you saw, you know, Dimitrov and Kyrgios in Cincinnati, here with the bottom half of the draw. It's a little more opportunity and kind of a freak year with all these injuries. Everyone is trying to do the best they can to make the best of a good situation for the rest of us, I guess you'd call it.Q. With Mischa up on John, if you are facing him, what are your thoughts on that matchup, what it would depend on?SAM QUERREY: I'm not sure. I'll have to talk with my coach Craig. It's tricky playing a lefty. Serves and volleys, chips the slice. I wouldn't call him a clean ball-striker. He gives you a different look at a ball every time, which can be frustrating.I'll sit with my coach. I'm assuming he'll know what to do. That's why he gets the big bucks.Q. How big was Wimbledon for you in terms of your own belief in how far you can go at slams?SAM QUERREY: It was pretty big. I mean, I felt good before that tournament. I felt pretty confident beforehand. Even if I didn't make the semifinals, I still feel like I'd be playing well right now and still have the confidence.But it was more exciting than anything to make the semis.Q. You've been playing a lot of big matches in the United States in your career, Davis Cup. This afternoon seemed like you had a pretty good crowd support. Does that make you want to be a more emotional player? Some people say it's hard to get behind you because you're not very emotional.SAM QUERREY: No, I mean, I play my best when I'm not too emotional either way. If I change that based on the crowd size, something bad will happen.I get what you're saying. Like it is tough. But I'm just doing what I do, keep my emotions pretty levelheaded. People can come out and watch if they want. If they don't want to, they don't have to.Q. What would the opportunity to play John out on presumably Arthur Ashe in front of a home crowd be like?SAM QUERREY: It would be fun. We've played each other a handful of times. To have it be in a Grand Slam, round of 16, that hasn't happened in a long time. It would be really fun. It would be cool for the fans, fun for John and I. Got a little work to do, so hopefully he can turn it around here and win these next three sets so we can do that.Q. Serena Williams had a baby today.SAM QUERREY: I didn't know she had it.Q. What are your thoughts on her comeback to the tour eventually, what you would expect from her, and what sort of future do you think her baby girl will have in tennis?SAM QUERREY: I mean, as far as her coming back, if she wants to come back, it would be great to have her. She's amazing for the sport. Fun to watch. If she doesn't, she's had an incredible career. Whatever she decides to do is great with her.If her little girl plays tennis, I'm sure she'll be a great player. I don't know if she'll play tennis. Who knows.Q. When you first came on the tour, you were known as a big server, typecast that way. Do you feel like you always had a complete game or is it this year it's come together?SAM QUERREY: I feel like I always had it, just better now. All around, recognizing the opportunities to move forward. My backhand is definitely better. I feel like my return is a lot better. I feel like my intangibles are a little better. I just feel like every part of my game is a little more complete now.

_________________“I doubt about myself, I think the doubts are good in life. The people who don’t have doubts I think only two things: arrogance or not intelligence.”

"When these kind of matches happen you suffer, but I really enjoy these moments. I really enjoy suffering, because what's harder is when I am in Mallorca last year and I had to watch these kind of matches on the TV."

American will face Kevin Anderson in QFIf this was the best match of Sam Querrey's career, the rest of the US Open field better take notice. The 17th seed was at his ruthless best on Sunday night, turning in a masterclass performance under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium.Querrey sprinted past Mischa Zverev 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 in just one hour and 16 minutes, blitzing his 30 year old opponent with a barrage of rifled groundstrokes and dizzying agility. It was the fastest match of the tournament thus far. He struck 55 winners, including 18 aces, and just eight unforced errors.With the win, Querrey will become the No. 1 American in the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time since July 2013. He is the first player from the U.S. to reach the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows since both Andy Roddick and John Isner did so in 2011."I really couldn't have done anything better out there tonight, I was in the zone," Querrey told ESPN in his on-court interview. "It was my first time playing out here at night, so I wanted to make the most of it."I was a little nervous at first, but I came out playing hot. Tennis is a game of momentum and once I broke early, I felt like I was off to the races. I felt comfortable three minutes into the match and that was the key."YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Schwartzman Stifles Pouille For QF BerthAs the last American man remaining, Querrey embraced the home atmosphere in his first Ashe night session appearance. Zverev's net attacking gameplan was effective in defeating John Isner on Friday, but the California native had an answer for the German with nearly every approach, passing him early and often. His execution of forehand passes was simply stunning.

Querrey's sharp movement stifled Zverev at the net throughout the encounter and a 24-minute first set would set the tone. The American struck 20 winners and just five unforced errors in the opener, breaking for 2-0 with a backhand pass and refusing to look back from there. Another break would secure the first set and he would drop just three games from there, breaking four more times to cross the finish line after 76 minutes."Mischa is someone who can make you feel uncomfortable," said Querrey. "[But I] had a good service game right off the bat. I think I broke first game of his serve, when he served. That just loosened me up right away. Felt great from there going forward.

"I went out there with the game plan of getting the return down and then try to pass, hopefully on the first ball, but if it took two passing shots, go with that. The more comfortable I got with the return, the more I started trying to hit the return further and further away from him to make tough volleys. I just got comfortable pretty quickly and started doing that.

"That was the best I've served all summer. My serve honestly has been the one thing I feel like I struggled with all summer. My serving percentage has been pretty low. It felt great out there. Something clicked. So I hope it feels like that on Tuesday."Querrey will next face Kevin Anderson with a coveted semi-final spot on the line. He owns an 8-6 edge in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, having split a pair of meetings this year. Querrey prevailed in a five-set thriller in the Wimbledon fourth round, before Anderson exacted revenge at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Montreal.Looking ahead to the battle with Anderson, Querrey said, "He's tough. Got a big game. He's another one that is tough to play. He doesn't give you much rhythm. He can go games where he's serving huge, you don't get a ball in play. He takes big cuts from start to finish. If he's on and he is dialed in, he's one of the toughest guys to play out there. You have to weather the storm against him, know he's going to have some brilliant shots.

"But I feel like when my game's on, I have a dangerous game as well. Hopefully it will be a match where each guy might have a small opportunity here and there, but we'll see."

_________________“I doubt about myself, I think the doubts are good in life. The people who don’t have doubts I think only two things: arrogance or not intelligence.”

"When these kind of matches happen you suffer, but I really enjoy these moments. I really enjoy suffering, because what's harder is when I am in Mallorca last year and I had to watch these kind of matches on the TV."